It’s a beautiful spring day in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. We’re going to spend most of the day on a food-tasting tour. We’ve made a reservation for a tour called “Hanoi Street Food Tour – Eat Like a Hanoian.” The tour is a walking tour that takes place entirely in the Old Quarter. On the way here, we had our first exposure to the infamous Hanoi traffic. Whoa. That was something. We made it, though, so we’re ready to get started.
When we checked in for our reservation, we were introduced to the person who would be our guide. Her name – at least the name she uses for the benefit of us Westerners — was “Lemon.”
Hey – I knew that name. I had done my homework when researching foodie tours, and Lemon’s name popped up in many excellent reviews. It was “Lemon this…” and Lemon that…” Everyone raved about this “Lemon” person. And there she was – the real Lemon — live and in-person. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity. A little bit, anyway.
Street-Crossing Lessons
After introductions, Lemon explained the rules to us, most of which concerned the crossing of streets. This was a walking tour, so we’d be crossing a lot of streets in the Old Quarter on foot. Uh oh.
Lemon gave us a 5-minute street-crossing class. The rules, as I remember them, were something along these lines:
Stay close together.
When we’re close together and ready to go, we’ll give each other the signal.*
Move at a slow, steady pace.
Don’t stop.
Don’t panic.
Extend your arm out at a 30-degree angle, palm down, in the direction that you’re heading.
Be calm and don’t panic.
Make eye contact with the motorbike rider closest to you.
Whatever you do, don’t stop.
Did I mention, “Don’t panic?”
(Later on, after having crossed one of the busier streets, we gave ourselves one more rule: “Don’t forget to breathe.” ha ha).
Bún Chả
Ready or not, off we went. Our first stop was at a place where they serve a dish called “bún chả.” If you read the previous post, you already know that “bún” are noodles. The ”chả” is pork.
I had read a lot about bún chả. In the Hanoi street foodie world, it’s a Big Deal. It was born and raised in Hanoi, and according to most bún chả aficionados, Hanoi is still the only place where you can get the real thing. Even though I had read a lot about it, I didn’t feel like I had a sense of what it was really like.
So here’s what it is, as explained to us by Lemon… The main ingredient is grilled pork. It’s always fatty pork. (The best kind, eh?). The pork is marinated and then grilled. Pieces of grilled pork are put into a light broth. Along with the pork and broth, there’ll be a plate of noodles and a plate of fresh herbs.
To eat bún chả, take your chopsticks, pick up a piece of pork, some noodles, and some herbs. For maximum effect, try to get a little bit of everything in between your deftly-held chopsticks at the same time. Then into your mouth it goes.
The next thing that happens is that you start floating up off of your tiny blue chair in bún chả-induced ecstasy. You panic slightly, because you forgot to buckle the seat-belt on your tiny chair. Then you realize that you’re not floating at all. You were sitting down the whole time! It’s that good.
I wish I could describe the taste/sensation, but other than the bit of hyperbole above, I’m not going to attempt it. There’s too much going on, all at once. And yet, it seems as simple as can be. It’s a wonderful thing.
Nộm Thịt Bò Khô
Our next stop was at a place people go to get “Nộm Thịt Bò Khô”, otherwise known as ”Dried Beef Salad.” (“Thịt Bò” is “beef”. “Khô” means “dried”). This is said to be another dish that you can only get in Hanoi — at least if you want the real thing. Apparently, it’s VERY popular here.
To make it they marinate the beef overnight in a marinade that probably includes garlic, chilies, and ginger. In the morning, they dry it out in an oven. Our Nộm Thịt Bò Khô came in small bowls of julienned pickled green papaya and carrot, fresh herbs, with bite-sized pieces of dried beef on top.
The dressing comes in a separate bowl. It’s a concoction of vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, probably chili and ginger, and whatever the chef’s secret ingredients might be. To eat Nộm Thịt Bò Khô, (just as with bún chả), try to get a little bit of everything in between your deftly-held chopsticks so all those flavors can come to the party at the same time.
The taste was fantastic. It’s such a simple dish, ingredients-wise, but so many wonderful flavors come out in each bite. It’s basically salad, so it’s light, but it’s substantial, too, because of the beef. Not too substantial, I hope, because we have quite a few more stops to make!
To be continued…
